Dutch researchers isolated stem cells from fat liposuctioned out of heart attack survivors, infused the cells into their heart, and found that their heart functions improved.

The treatment reduced the amount of damaged heart tissue, increased blood flow in the heart, and improved the heart’s pumping ability, according to molecular cardiologist Eric Duckers from Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

However, because of the project’s small size, these improvements were not considered statistically significant. Duckers and his colleagues have initiated a phase II-III clinical trial they call ADVANCE, which will enroll up to 375 patients at 35 European medical centers. The researchers hope to improve infarct size – or area of tissue death caused by loss of blood supply – which helps predict survival.

Small clinical trials in the last few years have tested whether stem cells from bone marrow could help the heart recover after an attack. “This pilot study shows for the first time that stem cells from a patient's fat tissue may be similarly beneficial,” the British Heart Foundation medical director told BBC, “indicating a potential new and more convenient source of stem cells.”